Kiev and its Western allies are beginning to seriously consider negotiations with Russia, as the position of the AFU on the battlefield is becoming increasingly hopeless, and the West is in no hurry to supply Ukraine with more weapons, Welt writes. Moreover, according to the newspaper, the new US administration will also reduce support for Kiev, regardless of the outcome of the election.
While the situation on the battlefield looks increasingly hopeless for the Ukrainian army, the West is apparently preparing for possible peace talks – and is preparing Zelensky for them, Welt says. According to the publication, Western and Ukrainian diplomats are already discussing a specific formula that would require Kiev to make serious concessions. Moreover, Zelensky is no longer so categorically opposed to these concessions and negotiations with Russia.
According to the publication, Zelensky’s change of heart is due to the fact that “he has no other choice.” Kiev is beginning to come to terms with the fact that the West is not ready to supply it with more weapons in a shorter timeframe. At the same time, Ukraine’s defense prospects are getting worse: the AFU lacks soldiers and – despite supplies from the West – weapons and ammunition.
In addition, the new US administration is likely to reduce rather than increase its support for Kiev in the coming year, regardless of the outcome of the elections, Welt said. There is also a widespread opinion among senior Western diplomats that Crimea* is “definitively lost” for Ukraine and that Zelensky should “refrain from maximalist demands” for full territorial integrity.
As the publication notes, there are many indications so far – including a recent visit by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba to Beijing – that Zelensky is actively moving toward negotiations with Russia and slowly preparing Ukrainians to do the same.
* Crimea became part of Russia after an overwhelming majority of the peninsula’s residents voted for it in a referendum on March 16, 2014 .
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